Tag Archives: $25

Mission Estate Winery Reserve Syrah 2020, Gimblett Gravels, New Zealand

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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Deep purple with medium viscosity and slight staining (14% ABV).  The nose gives me medium intensity aromas of blueberry, açaí berries, black plum, pepper, vanilla and cardamom. The aromas are very pinpoint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannins that are very smooth like powder, and a full body. Dark fruit with florals and sweet oak make for a very smooth and delicious palate.  The finish is quite long and reveals a core of rich, ripe blueberry wrapped with those powdery tannins- a delicious drop that gets 92 points from me.  Drink this $20 wine till 2030.  Purchased in the UK, wishing we had it over here in ‘murica cause it’s a 5 star wine.  Salut….

Jean-Marc Lafont Domaine de Bel Air Brouilly Briante 2020, Beaujolais, France

26 Monday Jun 2023

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Medium purple colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV). The nose reminds me of Paris, where I drank this style of Beaujolais by the bucketful in the cafes and restaurants.  I get aromas of candied black cherry, tons of florals, strawberry and redcurrant.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are powdery and integrated.  Medium to full bodied- this Gamay based wine takes on a touch of bitterness right off the bat that is offset by ripe red fruit- strawberry, black cherry and currants.  The main floral component is lavender but there is a black tea note coming through on the mid palate.  The wine finishes a touch tart but its length is quite impressive.  The tannins very gently caressing and the acidity ever-present.  This bottle is a magnum and will last till 2028, regular bottles retail for $25.  It gets 90 points from me- 4 stars.  Salut….

Chateau St. Thomas 2013, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

23 Friday Jun 2023

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Deep, inky purple which is surprising given the fact that it has 10 years of age already.  The walls show a touch of staining and the viscosity is medium (14% ABV).  The nose is developing nicely- cassis, cedar shake, blackberry coulis, tobacco, baking spices, vanilla bean, dried herbs and a touch of mint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) to full tannins that are still youthful and grippy.  Ripe black fruit along with some dried fruit point to the mid life development of this wine.  The oak nuance is present and the dried herbs are evident along with a black tea component.  Full bodied, this blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah coats my mouth with lush fruit that goes on to a long finish which is somewhat astringent but inviting- I sip again.  I love this winery and the folks that run it (they are relatives for full disclosure).  They make a wine that has huge cellaring capacity yet drinks beautifully when young.  I have drunk many bottles of the same vintage over a long span of time and am always impressed by the development and further potential.  This wine will last till 2030 at the least and gets 93 points from me- at $25 a bottle it’s a tremendous deal that you should seek out.  I’m grilling New York strips to pair. with this 5 star effort.  Salut….

Man O’ War Island Blend 2019, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

16 Tuesday May 2023

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Medium ruby with wall staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black and red plum, black berry, cinnamon, vanilla, lavender and tomato leaf.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that hit the mid palate.  Flavor-wise I get blackberry, plums and açaí berry with vanilla, baking spices and coffee. The wine is medium (+) bodied but it thins out on the back end a touch.  The finish has some charred wood notes along with roasted coffee and black fruit but I also get a green herbaceous hint.  It’s a nice blend of Cabernet Franc 48%, Malbec 25%, Merlot 19% and Petit Verdot 8% that has a medium length ending.  I like this style of wine and think it is drinking nicely now and will cellar for the short term.  90 points from me for this $25 effort makes it a 4 star wine.  Salut….

Beringer Vineyards Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Sonoma County, California

15 Monday May 2023

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Medium ruby with high viscosity and staining (14.6% ABV). Intense aromas of black plum, blackberry, cassis, vanilla, cedar, cigar box and black raspberry. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are plush and fine-grained.  Confirming the black fruit and oak on the palate- full bodied with a seductively smooth medium finish, 93 points. We are pairing this Magnum with char-grilled Ribeyes on this glorious Mother’s Day.  Drink till 2028, at $25 per 750 ml bottle this has to be one of the best QPR’s in Cali Cabs. 5 stars!  Salut….

Compania Bodeguera Valenciso 2019, Rioja DOCa, Spain

13 Thursday Apr 2023

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Medium lemon colored with high viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon rind, Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, white flower, honeydew and a nut component.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a rather large dose of bitterness right off the bat.  The body is medium and I get flavors of Meyer lemon, brioche, some baking spice, melon and hazelnut.  This wine has obviously seen some oak and perhaps a little lees stirring.  The finish is quite lengthy- with bitter hazelnut skins and lemon notes alongside the brioche and vanilla. It runs $25 and gets 91 points from me.  I would drink till 2028 with heavier dishes of chicken, perhaps an Alfredo.  This blend of 70 % Viura and 30% White Grenache gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Remhoogte Reserve ‘Honeybunch’ Chenin Blanc 2021, Stellenbosch, South Africa

11 Tuesday Apr 2023

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Pale gold colored with high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of Meyer lemon, ginger, white flower, pink grapefruit, citrus pith, a touch of brioche and honeysuckle.  The palate has hint of sweetness, or else it is from really ripe fruit but it reminds me of honey.  Medium (+) acidity leads to a pretty full body. The flavors of Meyer lemon and grapefruit coat my mouth along with the florals and some bitterness from citrus pith.  The use of oak maturation and a bit of skin contact leave this with with a rounded mouthfeel that has a bitterness that I am enjoying.  It’s not a buttery, oaked Chard yet it has similar traits to one that has seen a deft hand.  I like it.  The finish is medium (+) in length and the citrus bows out early, leaving some brioche/vanilla and baking spice notes to carry through to the end.  For $25, this is a great wine to pair with grilled salmon or roast chicken.  My particular pairing is a vegetarian Tagine with lots of spices, preserved lemon and toasted almonds.  I would drink it over the next few years.  It gets 91 points from me and 5 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Treytins 2016, Montagne-Saint-Emilion, France

06 Thursday Apr 2023

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A hazy deep ruby color with some staining on the walls and medium to high viscosity legs (14% ABV).  On the nose I get classic Bordeaux aromas of cassis, leather, pencil lead, ripe black plum, boysenberry and elderberry.  Coffee and dark chocolate with some menthol also come to mind.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannins and a medium (+) body.  The brooding dark berry with coffee, licorice and dark chocolate notes are all present alongside some black tea which gives a touch of mid palate astringency.  The finish is powerful and long with grippy tannins taking center stage.  I have drunk gallons of this delicious Merlot dominant Right Bank wine over the years and am glad to revisit an old friend that runs $25 and gets 91 points from me.  Drink this 5 star wine till 2028 with a sizzling steak and some au gratin.  Salut….

Les Vins Jean-Claude Debeaune Domaine de Grand Croix 2020, Brouilly, France

23 Thursday Mar 2023

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Deep purple with high viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of grape, red raspberry, lilac- it’s sorta muted right now.   The palate is dry with medium acidity and sandy tannins that are medium (-) in intensity.  The body of this Gamay is medium to full and is silky with ripe red raspberry, red licorice, orange peel and black cherry.  The finish is a touch tart but delightful and quite long.  I paid $25 for this 88 point wine making it a 3 star effort that I’m pairing with roast Duck.  Drink till 2027.  Ps. Carbonic Maceration is commonly used in Beaujolais but I don’t sense its use in this Cru level wine.  Salut….

Weingut Winzer Krems ‘Kremser Goldberg’ Kellermeister Privat Gruner Veltliner Trocken 2020, Kremstal DAC, Austria

15 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Medium lemon with a touch of petillance and medium legs (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon rind, pomelo, white flowers, crushed gravel and pith.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a touch of bitterness and medium body.  The flavors I get are citrus dominated per the nose but I also get a rounded, creamy textured note of lemon curd.  The finish is medium to long and the crispness of the acidity lingers but is not biting.  I like this $25 effort and give it 90 points and 5 stars.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….